Black duikers are small forest-dwelling antelopes. They have soft glossy black coats. The head is a rust color with a large red crest between the ears. These animals have a short tail that is black on top and white on the underside. Black duikers have long, thin horns that are often hidden in a tuft of hair on top of the head.

Distribution

Black duikers are found in West Africa ranging from the southern parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria. They live mainly in lowland rainforest and occur on the edge of primary forest, gallery forests, bushes, and thickets.

Geography

Biome

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Black duikers are territorial animals. They are usually found alone or in pairs. They are most active around dusk and dawn but in undisturbed areas, they may be more diurnal. Black duikers spend their time feeding, grooming and resting. They prefer to rest in dense thickets or between buttress roots of large trees. These animals are very fast and have a very sharp sense of smell.

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON

year-round

PREGNANCY DURATION

126 days

BABY CARRYING

1 calf

FEMALE NAME

doe

MALE NAME

buck

BABY NAME

calf

There is little information known about the mating system in Black duikers. The mating season takes place year round, but the peak of births usually occurs from November to January. The gestation period lasts around 126 days after which only one calf is born. The newborn weighs 1.94 kg and is weaned around 90 days of age.

Population

Population threats

The main threat to Black duikers is overhunting for bushmeat and are considered to be in decline across their range.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Black duikers is 100,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.